Abstract: A PSA mechanism has a plurality of adsorption towers having inlet/outlet ends connected to respective valves that are connected to an off-gas discharge passage. The off-gas discharge passage is connected to an off-gas ejector of a residual gas supply. The off-gas ejector has a function to draw an off gas from the PSA mechanism with compressed air that is caused by an air compressor to flow from an off-gas discharging air supply passage into an off-gas passage.

Abstract: When a shutoff signal is entered to shut off a fuel gas manufacturing apparatus, it is determined whether a PSA mechanism is in a prescribed shutoff state or not. If the PSA mechanism is judged as not being in the prescribed shutoff state, the fuel gas manufacturing apparatus is continuously operated until the PSA mechanism is brought into the prescribed shutoff state. Then, if the PSA mechanism reaches the prescribed shutoff state, the fuel gas manufacturing apparatus is shut off.

Abstract: A method of warming up a fuel evaporator is disclosed. The fuel evaporator 2 comprises: an evaporation chamber 2b equipped with a first injection device 2a for injecting raw fuel liquid onto a heat source 2p, and vaporizing the raw fuel liquid on the heat source; a catalyst combustor 20 having a combustion catalyst 22a, and introducing catalytically burned combustion gas into the heat source; a second injection device 30 for supplying fuel to the catalyst combustor; a combustion gas transferring device 10 equipped with a fuel injection portion 10a and a combustion catalyst 10c, and the fuel injection portion injecting fuel onto the combustion catalyst to generate a catalytically burned gas; a first temperature measurement device T1 for the catalyst combustor; and a second temperature measurement device T2 for the evaporation chamber.

Abstract: A raw fuel vaporizing apparatus comprising: a vaporizer for vaporizing liquid raw fuel; a raw fuel introducing device for introducing the liquid raw fuel into the vaporizer; a catalyst combustor into which fuel and air are supplied for catalytic combustion, the catalyst combustor generating heat in the presence of a catalyst and supplying the resulting heat to the vaporizer to vaporize the liquid raw fuel; a fuel introducing device for introducing the fuel into the catalyst combustor; an air introducing device for introducing the amount of the air suitable for catalytic combustion into the catalyst combustor; a heat transferring gas introducing device introducing heat transferring gas into the catalyst combustor to transfer heat retained by the catalyst combustor to the vaporizer; and a controller increasing the amount of the heat transferring gas through the heat transferring gas introducing device when the amount of vapor generated in the vaporizer is increased.

Abstract: A fuel gas production apparatus includes a reforming mechanism, a cooling mechanism connected an outlet side of the reforming mechanism and a PSA mechanism directly connected to the reforming mechanism through the cooling mechanism. The reforming mechanism uses an auto-thermal reforming system for reforming a fuel to obtain a reformed gas. The cooling mechanism cools the reformed gas to a predetermined temperature. After the reformed gas is cooled by the cooling mechanism, the PSA mechanism removes impurities from the reformed gas to produce a hydrogen-rich pure fuel gas.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes: a casing; an external cylinder which is arranged inside the casing with a clearance formed between the external cylinder and an inner surface of the casing and is supported in a cantilevered manner, has a closed end portion, and forms a first fluid passage between the external cylinder and the casing; and an internal cylinder which is arranged inside the external cylinder with a clearance formed between the internal cylinder and an inner surface of the external cylinder and is supported in a cantilevered manner, is open at both ends, and forms a second fluid passage, which is turned around at the closed end portion of the external cylinder, between the internal cylinder and the external cylinder.

Abstract: A fuel cell system 1 comprises a fuel cell stack 10, an evaporator 21, a reforming device 22, a supercharger 23, an offgas heating device 24, and a catalytic combustion chamber 25. Offgas exhausted from the fuel cell stack 10 is burnt in the catalytic combustion chamber 25, and the burnt offgas is introduced to the evaporator 21 to be heat exchanged with a reforming raw fuel and reforming air. The burnt offgas cooled by means of the heat exchange is introduced to the offgas heating device 24, to be used as a heat source for heating the offgas exhausted from the fuel cell stack 10. The offgas can be heated by the burnt offgas, and the moisture in the offgas can be vaporized and introduced to the catalytic combustion chamber 25.

Abstract: A raw fuel vaporizing apparatus comprising: a vaporizer for vaporizing liquid raw fuel; a raw fuel introducing device for introducing the liquid raw fuel into the vaporizer; a catalyst combustor into which fuel and air are supplied for catalytic combustion, the catalyst combustor generating heat in the presence of a catalyst and supplying the resulting heat to the vaporizer to vaporize the liquid raw fuel; a fuel introducing device for introducing the fuel into the catalyst combustor; an air introducing device for introducing the amount of the air suitable for catalytic combustion into the catalyst combustor; a heat transferring gas introducing device introducing heat transferring gas into the catalyst combustor to transfer heat retained by the catalyst combustor to the vaporizer; and a controller increasing the amount of the heat transferring gas through the heat transferring gas introducing device when the amount of vapor generated in the vaporizer is increased.

Abstract: A fuel cell system 1 comprises a fuel cell stack 10, an evaporator 21, a reforming device 22, a supercharger 23, an offgas heating device 24, and a catalytic combustion chamber 25. Offgas exhausted from the fuel cell stack 10 is burnt in the catalytic combustion chamber 25, and the burnt offgas is introduced to the evaporator 21 to be heat exchanged with a reforming raw fuel and reforming air. The burnt offgas cooled by means of the heat exchange is introduced to the offgas heating device 24, to be used as a heat source for heating the offgas exhausted from the fuel cell stack 10. The offgas can be heated by the burnt offgas, and the moisture in the offgas can be vaporized and introduced to the catalytic combustion chamber 25. As a result, a reduction in the quantity of generated heat of the catalytic combustion chamber can be prevented in the fuel cell system.

Abstract: In a heat processing system for a fuel cell comprising a catalytic combustor 23 that has supplied and combusts an anode off gas and a cathode off gas discharged from a fuel cell stack 21, a vaporizer 24 that has introduced therein a combustion gas produced in the catalytic combustor 23, heats a raw fuel for a fuel cell by using the heat of the combustion gas to make it a fuel vapor, an off gas heater that heats the anode off gas and the cathode off gas by a combustion gas used in the vaporizer 24, a reformer 25 that reforms the fuel vapor produced by the vaporizer 24 and provides the fuel gas to the fuel cell stack 21, wherein the combustion gas temperature of the catalytic combustor 23 is set based on the required fuel vapor temperature, the flow volume of the cathode off gas is set and adjusted depending on this combustion gas temperature, and the set combustion gas temperature is compensated based on the required fuel vapor temperature and the actual fuel vapor temperature.

Abstract: A method of warming up a fuel evaporator is disclosed. The fuel evaporator 2 comprises: an evaporation chamber 2b equipped with a first injection device 2a for injecting raw fuel liquid onto a heat source 2p, and vaporizing the raw fuel liquid on the heat source; a catalyst combustor 20 having a combustion catalyst 22a, and introducing catalytically burned combustion gas into the heat source; a second injection device 30 for supplying fuel to the catalyst combustor; a combustion gas transferring device 10 equipped with a fuel injection portion 10a and a combustion catalyst 10c, and the fuel injection portion injecting fuel onto the combustion catalyst to generate a catalytically burned gas; a first temperature measurement device T1 for the catalyst combustor; and a second temperature measurement device T2 for the evaporation chamber.

Abstract: A dispersion strengthened copper alloy containing a copper matrix, and dispersion particles dispersed in the copper matrix within a range of 0.5 to 6 vol %. In this alloy, an average diameter of a matrix region where the dispersion particles are not present is 0.3 .mu.m or less, and the total amount of solid solution elements contained in the copper matrix is determined such that, when this amount of the solid solution elements is added to pure copper, the electric conductivity of the matrix is lowered by 5% IACS or less.

Abstract: In a flash welding apparatus, different length guides and driving devices thereof are formed on lower parts of an inlet side electrode table and an outlet side electrode table and the electrode tables and a compact rotary shear unit are arranged in the direction perpendicular to a strip line when both of the electrode tables are approached and one of the guides is commonly used as a guide for shifting a flash trimmer lower unit and a guide is formed on one of the upper electrode frames of the electrode tables so as to shift a flash trimmer upper unit and the rotary shear unit of the inlet side electrode table and the rotary shear unit of the outlet side electrode table and a pair of the upper and lower trimmer units are aligned in the plan view.

Abstract: A plating chamber holds a reducing or inert atmosphere heated to a temperature suited for plating or galvanizing. A pair of power-driven coating rolls are horizontally disposed in the plating chamber, one roll contacting the top surface of a metal strip to be plated and the other contacting the bottom surface. A molten coating metal is continuously supplied so as to form a uniform film of the metal on the peripheral surface of each coating roll. By means of deflector rolls horizontally disposed in the plating chamber, a metal strip heated to a temperature suited for plating continuously travels through the chamber. A surface of the strip becomes plated on contacting the peripheral surface of the coating roll on which the film of the molten coating metal has been formed. The coating rolls can be drawn away from the surface of the strip by shifting the deflector or coating rolls, so that plating can be applied to one, both or neither side of the strip as desired.